Multiple-socket wrench



May 21, 1929. o. E. FURST MULTIPLE SOCKET WRENCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 8, 1928 H [lg ATTORNEY O. E. FURST MULTIPLE SOCKET WRENCH Filed Nov. 8, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR BY 67% ATTORNEY Patented May 21, 1929.

OSCAR E. FURST, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

MUL IPLE-sooner WRENCH.

Application filed November 8, 1928. Serial 110. 817,946.

This inventionrelates to an improvement in multiple socket wrenches and is particularly adapted for turning nuts used upon disc-wheels or demountable tire rims of motor driven vehicles. 1

It is well understood among garage and tire service men that it requires considerable manual effort to remove or replace the nuts used upon demountable tire rims and discwheels, and that it is often very difiicult to exert sufficient pressure with the tire wrenches in general use to properly seat the nuts, due to the turning position of the brace when the nuts are about to be seated.

One object therefore of the present inven tion is to provide in combination with a ratchet brace, adapted for either rotary or oscillatory movement as required, a simple unitary element comprising a plurality of radially disposed nut sockets of varying size extending from a hub rotatably mounted upon the shank of the brace so that a socket of the required size may be locked in an operable position for use ;the construction being such that the hub of the rotatable socket member is also adapted to slide longitudinally upon the shank under the urge of a spring which forces the hub into engagement with suitable locking means on the shank, that the hub may be held against turning on the shank, until manuallyreleased to present a nut socket of relatively different size in operable position.

Another feature of the invention is a detachable extension socket member adapted to be supported and locked in one of the several sockets of the unitary rotatable member for turning nuts in otherwise inaccessible locations.

\Vith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention further resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter de scribed and claimed, it being understood that changes may be made in the precise embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed without departing from the spirit of the same.

In the drawings fication:

Figure l is a side elevation of the wrench.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevation of the rotatable multiple socket member and ratchet, viewed as indicated by the arrows on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

accompanying this specieffect Figure 5 is a sectional elevation of an extensible socket member detachably secured in one of the sockets of the rotatable member.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective .view of the brace, showing the rotatable socket member in locked relation to the shank of the brace with a portion of the housing removed and in section, disclosing pawls engaging a ratchet gear, also a rotatable cam-collar for operating the pawls to provide for either an oscillatory or rotary movement of the brace.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a vehicle wheel showing the wrench in position to by a slight oscillatory movement of the brace, the maximum leverage to seat the nut without removing and replacing the wrench socket upon the nut to exert more pressure upon the latter.

Referring now to the reference letters placed upon the drawings:

A denotes a brace, fitted at one endwith a swiveled handle-B, and on the intermediate crank portion C, a rotatable handle C to facilitate its operation.

D indicates a housing secured to the brace in which is lodged a ratchet gear E mounted upon the upper circular end of the shank F, journaled in the walls of the housing.

G denotes a pair of pawlsv pivoted at G between the walls of the housingyadapted to engagethe ratchet gear E to effect either a right or left continuous rotation of the socket wrench, or an oscillatory movement of the brace socket wrench in a manner well understood.

Gr denotes an expansion spring, bearing against the respective pawls to maintain alternately one or the other pawl in released relation to the ratchet gear, and I indicates a rotatable cam-collar adapted toalternately shift the pawls into or out of engagement with the ratchet gear to effect either a rota or an oscillatory movement of the wrench.

The body of the shank F below the ratchet i into the end of the stub shaft square through the shank in cross section with a relatively short trunnion or stub shaft F at one end on which is rotatably mounted a multiple socket member H having a limited slidable movement thereon.

The multiple socket member H is constructed with a hub portion H from which radiate a plurality of socket wrenches H of varying size adapted to fit corresponding .nuts employed to secure demountable rims to their wheels.

The hub of the multiple socket member H 1s counterbored on one side to receive an expansion spring J coiled on a bolt K having an enlarged head against which the spring bears at one end and at the other end against the shoulder formed in the hub by the coun- The belt K has a screw-threaded diameter screwed F integral terbore. portion K of reduced with the shank.

L is a split washer located between the end of the trunnion and the shoulder formed by the enlarged diameter of the bolt, to avoid any tendency of the bolt being released by turning. K is a kerf in the head of the bolt to receive a screw-driver for purposes of adjustment. Projecting from the opposite side of the hub of the rotatable member are lugs H? spaced apart to overlap the square projecting portion F" of the shank.

Under the urge of the spring J the hub of the rotatable member is forced toward the square end of the shank causing the lugs H projecting from the hub to overlap the flat sides F of the shank, thereby locking the: rotatable member against turning upon the stub shaft F until manually released by forcing the said member against the spring J, to free the lugs from engagement with the square-end portion of the shaft that the rotatable member may be turned to present-a wrench socket of the required size to fit the nut to be removed or replaced.

In Figure 5 is shown an extensible socket wrench adapted for use when necessary to turn nuts in otherwise inaccessible places where it is difficult to reach the nut with one of the socket wrenches of the rotatable member.

,M denotes a detachable wrench adapted to be supported in the rotatable member, consisting of a socket portion M to receive a nut, at one end of stub shaft M", and at its opposite end an enlarged polygonal head M which may be lodged in one of the po lygonal sockets of the rotatable member.

Supported in a radial hole bored in the polygonal head is a ball N forced outwardly by a spring P that it may impinge upon the wall of the rotatable socket member. The ball N'is held in the radial hole in the polygonal head by peeningthe wall of the head surrounding the hole to cause it to overlap the same sufiiciently toretain the ball therein, in a .manner well understood. The yieldable ball serves to retain the extensible socket wrench in the sockets of the rotatable member, the wrench however may be readily withdrawn bymanually pulling it from the supporting socket. V

Having now indicated the several parts by reference letters, the construction and operation of the device will be readily under stood. I

To turn a nut on or ofl", the ratchet brace .may be set to provide for a complete rotation of the brace and when the nut is about to be seated, or when it is necessary to apply increased leverage to remove anut, the ratchet member may be adjusted so that the brace may be operated by an oscillatory movement whereby the maximum leverage obtainable for either removing or seating the nut may be intermittently applied in the manner diagrammatically indicated by arrows in Figure 7 of the drawings.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

A wrench comprising av brace member including a ratchet gear; a housing for the ratchet gear; a U-shape shank having a stem at one end journaled in the housing on which the ratchet gear is mounted; a multiple socket wrench member rotatably and slidably mounted upon a trunnion forming the other end of the shank, the hub of said multiple socket wrench being counterbored on one sideit'or a. spring and provided on the opposite side of the hub with lugs spaced apart to overlap the flat walls of the shank, whereby they may lock the multiple socket wrench from turning upon the trunnion; an expansion spring housed in the counterbore of the hub, adapted to yieldingly shift the hub longitudinally upon the trunnion to force the lugs into inter locking relation with the shank; and an adjustable bolt extending through the hub, screwed into the end of the shank,- having an enlarged head fitted to the counterbore of the hub to receive the thrust of the spring.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification.

OSGAR E. FUR-ST. 

